Mns Balee Project Update

After receiving information from Mns Balee community members, I have been working to develop a long term site master plan. Phase 1, as I've mentioned before, will be the restaurant for which there is a budget of $21,000 from Mercy Corps. I went to the site on Monday and spent a couple of hours walking around locating various program functions. There is quite a bit of topography so it's challenging. I will propose putting the restaurant in between two small hills. It will have a very nice view but the objective is that the building itself isn't too prominent, taking away from the natural beauty of the site, and the views. They want seating for 24 people at the restaurant. It can primarily be open with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms. From what I understand it costs about $1500 for a septic system, and about the same I think for a well.

We have another community workshop this coming Sunday. We will be taking a projector so we can show images of other beach resorts, particularly those in Bali. We don't have a plotter here at Mercy Corps so I pieced together a large site plan, zooming up on the photocopy machine. Then I'm using a meter wide role of trace paper to develop the site plan. At the workshop, we can tape this up and draw over it on another piece of trace. It makes me appreciate all the tools of the trade. 

When we meet on Sunday I will have to try and explain the characteristics that tourists like. If the project is done wrong, it could definitely ruin the site. I drew a sketch of the restaurant and indicated the materials and one of the engineers will price it. Everything here is built of concrete plastered over bricks. It's really quite ugly - well, I guess that's just my perspective. So using wood and what tourists think of as "traditional" Indonesian architecture (thatch roof, wood floors, wood carvings) may actually be more expensive I'm told. We are going to try and use coconut wood which is more sustainable than other local woods. The restaurant is going to be 9 meters by 9 meters I think, but I need to check on pricing.

It will be interesting to get their feedback regarding the masterplan. I hope it's a valuable tool because they will take the profits from the restaurant and reinvest it into the remaining development (bungalows, music stage, stairs to the top of the mountain, slide, lifeguard tower, changing room with life vests, parking, etc). They will be doing this on their own, so anything I can do to help has to happen now. Part of the challenge is simply communicating what tourists value, like natural materials. They have this idea that people will want to swim in their algae filled pond. I have to show them pictures of what foreigners will actually swim in: clear blue pools that are treated. Though the pond is pretty and should be left as is. In this case, MC will give them the money and they will coordinate all construction under our supervision. A lot of the decisions will be done in the field after I'm gone.

This trip is going by so fast. There are a lot of interesting projects I could work on. Next I might make up a brochure on bioswales so that they can start offering it as an option for drainage. Typically they use open concrete ditches, but the water doesn't have anywhere to go so it just sits there. I need to find some details on how to construct a bioswale that does not connect to a storm water pipe.  I guess it's fairly common for ngos to have these types of brilliant ideas but not have any clue as to how to actually detail them to make them work. So sometimes projects, especially ones that try new techniques, fail. Emily, who a civil engineer with a masters in public health and business I think, will also do some research.